Seeking Psychic
by thepublicalley
Summary: Juliet wants Shawn to find out if the guy she likes likes her back. A Psych story in three parts. Progress: 3/3
1. Part I

- paper clips -

"Gus, I'm shocked. You actually think I'd _do_ something like that?"

"Yes, Shawn, I happen to think you're perfectly capable of chaining all my paper clips together and stringing them across the ceiling like banners." Gus's hand shot up to point at the ceiling, emphasizing his accusation.

Shawn leaned back in his chair, casually staring up at the ceiling of the Psych office, which was adorned with crisscrossing threads of large and small silver paper clips.

"Dude, you have a LOT of paper clips."

Shooting Shawn a quick glare, Gus turned and headed into the storage room to hunt down a ladder.

"Aw, don't be mad, Gus. Paper clips are like little socialites. They _like_ being chained together. If you insist on tearing them apart they're going to get very depressed."

"Paper clips don't get depressed, Shawn!" Gus called back, his voice muffled.

"Of course they do." Shawn picked up a rubber ball that had been laying on his desk and started tossing it up in the air. "Like in that movie where the kids collected paper clips and put 'em in a train."

"You mean Paper Clips?"

"That's what I said. They collected paper clips and–"

"No, I mean the movie, it was called Paper Clips."

"Oh, yeah, that one. Those paper clips were pretty depressed if you asked me. Would you like to be shipped around the world and then stuffed in a rail car? I wouldn't."

There was a loud crash from the storage room, followed by a smaller thud and then a nice colouring of swear words. Soon after, Gus appeared in the doorway, struggling to maneuver the seven-foot ladder through the six-and-a-half-foot door frame. After a couple minutes of twisting and turning, Gus finally got the ladder through the opening. He half-carried, half-dragged it over to the middle of the office, then opened it up. Leaning against it to catch his breath, Gus said, "I'm pretty sure…..the kids were more…..depressed than…..the paper clips. Seeing as the kids were the ones learning about the Holocaust."

Shawn threw the rubber ball into the air again, nodding in agreement with Gus, but missed the ball coming down and it bounced across the floor. Not bothering to retrieve it, Shawn stood up and walked over to Gus, who was already halfway up the ladder.

"Gus, let me do that."

"No," Gus said, climbing further until he reached the top.

"You don't trust me."

"Why should I trust you, Shawn? What have you ever done to earn my trust?" Gus stretched upwards, trying to grasp onto a string of paper clips.

Shawn was taken aback. "Well, umm….let's see, I…..there was that time when…..with the dinosaur and the….."

"Exactly." Gus stretched again. "Ah-ha!" Gus cried as his fingers folded around a shiny chain. He tugged, hoping to pull the chain free from its attachment to the walls on either end.

"I wouldn't do that." Shawn stepped back as Gus continued tugging.

"Why not? Afraid I'll ruin the mood? Well, guess what, Shawn, I don't care. I'm taking my paper clips and I'm going back to my _real_ job where people respect me and don't hang my personal property from the ceiling!" He gave one final tug and the entire web of paper clips detached from the ceiling, and somehow from themselves. They rained down like little silver hail, pelting desks and lockers and the occasional pharmaceutical rep.

When the storm finally ceased, Gus looked up to see Shawn standing at the back of the room, trying not to smirk. Gus started forward across the paper clip-covered floor, a murderous look on his face, when a familiar female voice cut through the room.

"Is this a bad time?"

Gus's head whipped around to the main entrance. Shawn took a few steps forward, dusting a couple errant paper clips off his head. "Jules?"


	2. Part II

- adjectives -

Juliet moved forward into the office. "Hey guys. Um, Shawn, I was wondering if I could, uh, _talk_ to you, um, _privately_."

"Sure, Jules. Gus was just about to leave anyway, right Gus?"

Gus started to protest, but the look on Shawn's face silenced him. With a sigh, he said goodbye to Juliet, grabbed his coat and his briefcase, and headed out the door. He shook his head as the door closed behind him. Sometimes he just didn't understand why Shawn put himself through this kind of torture when he knew the golden-haired detective would never reciprocate his feelings.

Back in the office, Shawn had ushered Juliet over to the couch. "You want something to drink?" he asked her, motioning to the mini-fridge he and Gus shared. She shook her head, but Shawn grabbed her a bottle of tea anyway, selecting a Grapalicious juice box from one of the side shelves for himself. Closing the fridge, Shawn walked back over to the couch, dropping the tea in the blonde's lap. At her confused expression, he said, "The spirits think you should drink. You'll feel much better, they promise."

Despite the fact that she had originally refused a drink, when Juliet twisted off the lid and took a quick swig, she suddenly realized just how thirsty she was. Half the bottle was gone before Shawn got around to questioning her.

"So, as much as I LOVE your company, I am kind of curious as to why you're here. Care to share?"

Jules recapped her drink and turned to Shawn, who had taken a seat at the other end of the couch. "Shouldn't you know, Mr. Psychic?"

Not one to turn down a challenge, Shawn replied, "Of course I know, Jules. I just thought you'd like to get it off your chest. But, if you want me to say it then I can." His fingers inched toward his forehead.

"That's okay. Maybe I _should_ say it." Jules took a deep breath. "I'm here because I want you to use your psychic powers.... totellmeifthisguylikesme." She ducked her head.

"I didn't quite catch that last bit."

"I want you to tell me if I have any chance with this guy I like," Jules muttered, head still ducked.

"Oh, well, okay." Shawn cleared his throat, before adopting his 'serious' voice. "Um, to start with, I have to warn you that despite your good intentions the spirit world is a cold and vicious place. You may not like what you hear."

"I understand, but I have to know."

"Very well. Close your eyes and extend your hands." Jules complied and Shawn grasped her hands with his own. "I need you to think of the guy you like. Focus only on him. Got that?" Jules nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to tell me something about this guy. Some defining characteristics, something that ties you two together. I don't need whole sentences; single words will do fine."

Jules's face shifted to one of total concentration. Shawn chuckled silently as he watched her nose scrunch up as she tried to think of how to describe her mystery lover. Truthfully, Shawn was a little hurt by this whole thing. He didn't like the idea of Jules having a secret someone.

"Whenever you're ready," he said.

Jules nodded. "Well, he's quirky……Insane. Um……Sweet……Uh....Strong. Irresistible. Funny. Makes me laugh, a LOT. Has a strange obsession with pine, uh, trees. Pine trees."

"'Quirky'? 'Pine trees'? Hate to say it Jules, but this guy sounds like a dork."

Jules punched Shawn's forearm lightly. "He is NOT a dork. Just because you think all guys have to be dirty, macho, womanizers doesn't mean everyone does."

Shawn gasped. "I do _not_ think all guys should be dirty. Granted, I have skipped a couple showers in my day, but–"

"Shawn, can we try to focus here. I did come to you with a problem."

"Of course, Jules. Let's continue." Shawn tightened his grip on Jules's hands as they both closed their eyes. "Using the characteristics you supplied me, I'm going to attempt to create a psychic link between myself and your mystery man. This could take a minute. Be patient."

Shawn was silent for a few precious moments. Slipping his eyes open, he discretely took in the rumpled blouse collar and loose bits of hair, very unbecoming for the professional detective. She had obviously spent a lot of time worrying about this.

"The spirits are being very uncooperative today, Jules." Shawn sighed as he saw the hurt flash across Juliet's face. "But not to worry. I'm certain I can sort through this mess. I just need one more thing from you."

A hopeful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Sure. What do you need?"

"I need–" He looked at her, trying to steel his mind for the inevitable outcome of his demand. "I need his name."


	3. Part III

Thanks so much to all my lovely reviewers!

nancyandnedforever: I love Nancy Drew, a good chunk of my bookshelf is dedicated to her books. You were my first reviewer, so this final chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks for reading!

Aigneal Logan: Yeah, you'd be surprised how many variations of that I went through (Pine-Sol, pine cone, piña colada). Thanks for reviewing!

hales03: Your wish is my command.

purtyinpink71121: Thanks for the review! I actually really like the actress Molly Ringwald, who stars in the movie Pretty in Pink, which sounds a lot like your name (whether you meant it to or not). Just thought I'd share that.

And thanks to everyone who's added this story to their Alerts. It's nice to know people like what I write, and it really makes me want to write more. That being said, here is the suspenseful conclusion to Seeking Psychic.

* * *

- confessions -

Shock fell upon the blonde's face. "You want a….a name? Why?"

"Creating a psychic link is like looking through a phone book. But instead of searching for an address or number, which is what I was doing with the characteristics, I could just look up the name. It's not always necessary, but when the spirits act up variables change." Shawn looked into her eyes. "That's not a problem is it?"

Jules immediately switched her gaze over to a water-starved plant in the corner of the office. "Not a…..problem….per say." She looked down at her still half-full tea bottle. "Can't I just give you the first letter? That'd at least help narrow it down a little, right?"

Shawn shook his head. "Sorry. Not good enough. The spirits aren't cutting me any slack with this one. I need all the help I can get. Full name, please — first _and_ last. Middle if you have it."

Jules suddenly developed a strong case of shifty eyes. "Well, you see, here's the thing — it's not that I don't _want_ to tell you — not that I _can't_ tell you — it's just that — well, with the circumstances, uh, what I mean is, well — Ugh." Jules dropped her head into her hands.

"Woah, Jules, calm down." Shawn reached across and put his hand on her shoulder. "Just tell me. I won't get mad. And I promise I won't tell anyone else. Well, maybe Gus, but that's purely for business purposes — reports and that sort of thing. And I might accidentally tell Lassie, but that's more of a–"

"Shawn," Jules whispered, her voice muffled by her hands.

"What was that?" Shawn leaned in towards her.

Juliet let her arms drop. Looking up, she said, "Mystery Guy. His name. It's Shawn."

"Oh." Shawn drew back, a confused look on his face. "Well, if that's all you can tell me, then I guess it's better than nothing. Now, I just have to–"

"Shawn!" Her eyes locked with his. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, loverboy, Shawn, got it."

He started to do the trance thing again, but Jules grabbed his shoulders, stopping him. She leaned forward so her face was about a hand-length away from his. "No, Shawn, I don't think you've got it just yet."

"What are you–" Shawn began, but he fell silent when he saw the look on the blonde's face. "What's wrong, Jules?"

Juliet dropped her head. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she raised her head back up. "You don't need to _find_ Mystery Guy, Shawn, because he's already _here_." Shawn turned his head to either side, looking around the office. Jules caught his head between her hands. "He's already here, because _you're_ the mystery guy. _You're _Shawn. Get it?"

Shawn sat very still with a dazed expression on his face. A confession? He had _not_ been expecting that — hoping for it, maybe, but definitely not expecting it.

Juliet almost scooted back, afraid she had crossed the line, when her head was caught by two strong hands. Before she knew what was happening she felt herself being led towards him, her lips being crushed against his. The kiss was rough, dripping with long overdue passion. They separated, breathing hard, and Shawn took the opportunity to pull Jules into his lap. Resting his head on top of hers, he asked, "Why the elaborate setup, Jules? Why not just tell me?"

Jules laughed lightly. "Partly nerves — okay, mostly nerves. But, I kind of wanted to see if you could figure it out yourself." She laughed a little harder. "Which you obviously couldn't."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Suddenly he recalled something from their earlier conversation. "So, I'm quirky, am I?"

"Now, Shawn, when I said that I was just–" Her words trailed off as a fit of laughter overcame her. Shawn, using his position to his advantage, had started tickling her, his gentle fingers flitting over her sides. "Shawn!…….Stop!" she gasped out between laughs.

Shawn conceded, pulling her tighter against his chest. A hand flew up to his forehead. "I'm seeing something."

Still high from laughing, Jules asked, "What?"

"I'm seeing," Shawn leaned forward until their noses were practically touching. "I'm seeing you and me…..at Tom Blair's Pub…..tomorrow….at noon."

Jules tilted her head and drew a hair's breadth closer, putting them in 'very close talking' position. "Tell me this, psychic: Why wait?"

FIN


End file.
